Draft position thread

[funkykingston]

I put my life saving we won t be drafting randle over exum, that's comical. We might even take Vonleh over him and add smart.

My Kings top 10 draft board would look something like this:

1. Embiid
2. Exum (based on what I've read and video snippets - I haven't seen him play)
3. Wiggins
4. Parker
5. Vonleh
6. Cauley-Stein
7. Ennis
8. Smart
9. LaVine
10. Hood

It's not that I don't think Randle will succeed in the NBA, I just think he's an absolutely horrible fit next to the one guy the organization is clearly building around. I think Randle will eventually be somewhere between a Larry Johnson and Zach Randolph type player but much closer to Z-Bo. Nothing wrong with that but that low post "bully ball" style is all wrong for a frontcourt mate for Cousins. There are other guys who I really like watching (Saric, McDermott, Gordon, Seldon etc) who also don't look like good building blocks on a Cousins led team.

What makes this even harder is that if Gay doesn't opt out many of these guys are SFs (Wiggins, Parker, Hood and Grant who I also like) which wouldn't dissuade me from drafting them but doesn't help the team take a big leap next year as you either have guys playing out of position or you have a stud coming off the bench. I do think Wiggins could play the two and he and Gay would be a nice set of long, athletic and relatively complimentary wings. Parker is more of a Carmelo 3/4 which is a much tougher fit but he's such a polished and promising prospect.

Still if the Kings jump ahead of the Sixers and/or Magic land the 2nd or 3rd pick and Embiid is off the board I'd strongly consider trading back with one of them if it meant getting a top 5 pick and a second lottery pick.

A haul of Exum and Cauley-Stein or Vonleh and Ennis would fill a lot of holes for the Kings.

 

[Glenn]

My Kings top 10 draft board would look something like this:

1. Embiid
2. Exum (based on what I've read and video snippets - I haven't seen him play)
3. Wiggins
4. Parker
5. Vonleh
6. Cauley-Stein
7. Ennis
8. Smart
9. LaVine
10. Hood

It's not that I don't think Randle will succeed in the NBA, I just think he's an absolutely horrible fit next to the one guy the organization is clearly building around. I think Randle will eventually be somewhere between a Larry Johnson and Zach Randolph type player but much closer to Z-Bo. Nothing wrong with that but that low post "bully ball" style is all wrong for a frontcourt mate for Cousins. There are other guys who I really like watching (Saric, McDermott, Gordon, Seldon etc) who also don't look like good building blocks on a Cousins led team.

What makes this even harder is that if Gay doesn't opt out many of these guys are SFs (Wiggins, Parker, Hood and Grant who I also like) which wouldn't dissuade me from drafting them but doesn't help the team take a big leap next year as you either have guys playing out of position or you have a stud coming off the bench. I do think Wiggins could play the two and he and Gay would be a nice set of long, athletic and relatively complimentary wings. Parker is more of a Carmelo 3/4 which is a much tougher fit but he's such a polished and promising prospect.

Still if the Kings jump ahead of the Sixers and/or Magic land the 2nd or 3rd pick and Embiid is off the board I'd strongly consider trading back with one of them if it meant getting a top 5 pick and a second lottery pick.

A haul of Exum and Cauley-Stein or Vonleh and Ennis would fill a lot of holes for the Kings.

I'd settle for WCS AND Exum.

 

[funkykingston]

I'd settle for WCS AND Exum.

Yeah, that would honestly be a dream scenario for me. WCS has lots of warts (not the least of which is his maddening inconsistency) but what he does well is EXACTLY what this Kings team needs. And Exum is incredibly intriguing. The closest prospect I've seen to Penny Hardaway and he'd give the versatility to re-sign IT and have a 3 guard rotation as he could play alongside Thomas and it would mean always having a strong ballhandler next to McLemore.

But I'd be really happy with the Kings trading back to nab Vonleh and then Ennis. Vonleh is more Chris Bosh than the Tyson Chandler type player I think Cauley-Stein can become but he'd also be a nice fit alongside Cousins. And Ennis is a joy to watch. He and Doug McDermott are the highest BBall IQ players I've watched this year. I think Ennis will be an ideal PG on the next level though I worry about his defense because (1) he doesn't have great size or athleticism and (2) you can never get a feel for the defensive acumen of Syracuse players. Still, I like him better than I liked Trey Burke last year. But unlike Exum you couldn't play him alongside Thomas so unless IT is moved at the trade deadline I'd say drafting Ennis would mean letting IT walk in the offseason.

Just as a side note I think the absolute best team for Jabari Parker would be Philly. With MCW playing well and Nerlens Noel coming back from his ACL injury the Sixers have a big, pass first PG and a defensive anchor. Adding a stud scorer would give them a really solid trio to build on. For that matter Philly is a team that would be a good fit for Randle as well since he and Noel would be good compliments. I hope the Kings leapfrog some teams in the lottery because there are not only some fantastic prospects but also some opportunities to trade back and plug more than one hole. We'll see.

 

[fanop]

My Kings top 10 draft board would look something like this:


Still if the Kings jump ahead of the Sixers and/or Magic land the 2nd or 3rd pick and Embiid is off the board I'd strongly consider trading back with one of them if it meant getting a top 5 pick and a second lottery pick.

A haul of Exum and Cauley-Stein or Vonleh and Ennis would fill a lot of holes for the Kings.

Yes, if the Kings get 1st overall pick we should trade back with the sixers who have 2 first rounders... one of them would be in the top 5 and the other would be around 7-15 range(pelicans pick). If we can get both Exum and Vonleh or Parker/Ennis or Exum/WCS or something similar, I would be very happy. If the Sixers picked in the top 3 and we were 1st overall we would still have a clear shot at Exum/Wiggins/Parker/Embiid. My draft crushes are Exum and Ennis. Of course all this is wishful thinking. I honestly hope the kings can get the 1st overall pick and trade back 1-3 spots + another pick/good player.

 

[randymoss1881]

Yes, if the Kings get 1st overall pick we should trade back with the sixers who have 2 first rounders... one of them would be in the top 5 and the other would be around 7-15 range(pelicans pick). If we can get both Exum and Vonleh or Parker/Ennis or Exum/WCS or something similar, I would be very happy. If the Sixers picked in the top 3 and we were 1st overall we would still have a clear shot at Exum/Wiggins/Parker/Embiid. My draft crushes are Exum and Ennis. Of course all this is wishful thinking. I honestly hope the kings can get the 1st overall pick and trade back 1-3 spots + another pick/good player.

If we get the 1st pick Joel Embiid kings jerseys better go in sale before June even starts. No reason to get cute, none.

 

[fanop]

If we get the 1st pick Joel Embiid kings jerseys better go in sale before June even starts. No reason to get cute, none.

Even if we traded back, it doesn't mean we can't get Embiid... To be honest, I'd rather have a combo of Exum/WCS or Parker/Ennis or Wiggis/Ennis Exum/Vonleh Parker/Vonleh...well you get where I'm going over Embiid.. I don't think Embiid is the clear #1 pick in this draft. A lot of options if we draft #1...

 

[Gilles]

Even if we traded back, it doesn't mean we can't get Embiid... To be honest, I'd rather have a combo of Exum/WCS or Parker/Ennis or Wiggis/Ennis Exum/Vonleh Parker/Vonleh...well you get where I'm going over Embiid.. I don't think Embiid is the clear #1 pick in this draft. A lot of options if we draft #1...

Vonleh is going top-8, if not top-5. You're not getting two top-8 picks for Embiid. Whoever drafts Ennis near top-10...good luck to them!
For the purposes of this team Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a better fit than Wiggins: better and even more versatile defense(quickness to defend 1, strength and length to pick SFs and some smaller PFs), weaker offense. Now that Ashley is gone for the season RHJ will have enough time to show his game and come out. You take him and Vonleh, that's your two best defenders by the end of first year.
Of course, that's not the only route, nor it's a preferable one, if you want to be really competitive by the end of next season. Best one would be to look for bargains like DeMarre Carroll or Deante Burton.

 

[bajaden]

My Kings top 10 draft board would look something like this:

1. Embiid
2. Exum (based on what I've read and video snippets - I haven't seen him play)
3. Wiggins
4. Parker
5. Vonleh
6. Cauley-Stein
7. Ennis
8. Smart
9. LaVine
10. Hood

It's not that I don't think Randle will succeed in the NBA, I just think he's an absolutely horrible fit next to the one guy the organization is clearly building around. I think Randle will eventually be somewhere between a Larry Johnson and Zach Randolph type player but much closer to Z-Bo. Nothing wrong with that but that low post "bully ball" style is all wrong for a frontcourt mate for Cousins. There are other guys who I really like watching (Saric, McDermott, Gordon, Seldon etc) who also don't look like good building blocks on a Cousins led team.

What makes this even harder is that if Gay doesn't opt out many of these guys are SFs (Wiggins, Parker, Hood and Grant who I also like) which wouldn't dissuade me from drafting them but doesn't help the team take a big leap next year as you either have guys playing out of position or you have a stud coming off the bench. I do think Wiggins could play the two and he and Gay would be a nice set of long, athletic and relatively complimentary wings. Parker is more of a Carmelo 3/4 which is a much tougher fit but he's such a polished and promising prospect.

Still if the Kings jump ahead of the Sixers and/or Magic land the 2nd or 3rd pick and Embiid is off the board I'd strongly consider trading back with one of them if it meant getting a top 5 pick and a second lottery pick.

A haul of Exum and Cauley-Stein or Vonleh and Ennis would fill a lot of holes for the Kings.

Good list. I like most of them, and may have them in a slightly different order, but not much to quibble about. Not sure why you think McDermott wouldn't be a good fit on a Cousins led team. He could certainly spread the floor, and he's a good rebounder. He's shooting over 50% overall, and over 40% from the three. He just became the 6th man in NCAA history to score over 2670 points and over 1000 rebounds in his college career. Of course the question is whether he'll be able to play defense at the NBA level. A lot of scouts think he will. But, you never know. Its all a moot point because the chance of him landing on our team is remote.

 

[funkykingston]

Vonleh is going top-8, if not top-5. You're not getting two top-8 picks for Embiid. Whoever drafts Ennis near top-10...good luck to them!
For the purposes of this team Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a better fit than Wiggins: better and even more versatile defense(quickness to defend 1, strength and length to pick SFs and some smaller PFs), weaker offense. Now that Ashley is gone for the season RHJ will have enough time to show his game and come out. You take him and Vonleh, that's your two best defenders by the end of first year.
Of course, that's not the only route, nor it's a preferable one, if you want to be really competitive by the end of next season. Best one would be to look for bargains like DeMarre Carroll or Deante Burton.

I'm not sure Hollis-Jefferson comes out this year. And if he does my big concern is his complete lack of outside shooting. And personally I love Ennis but to each his own. I really like Vonleh but I'm not sure he's the rim protecting, weak side defending role player that we'd ideally like next to Cousins if only because I think he has the talent to be much more. Nice problem to have I suppose. Still, he's got a ton of potential and I'm unsure of exactly what kind of player he'll become. Right now Chris Bosh is an interesting comparison but Vonleh seems more aggressive and defensive minded and doesn't quite have Bosh's offensive game when he was coming out.

Good list. I like most of them, and may have them in a slightly different order, but not much to quibble about. Not sure why you think McDermott wouldn't be a good fit on a Cousins led team. He could certainly spread the floor, and he's a good rebounder. He's shooting over 50% overall, and over 40% from the three. He just became the 6th man in NCAA history to score over 2670 points and over 1000 rebounds in his college career. Of course the question is whether he'll be able to play defense at the NBA level. A lot of scouts think he will. But, you never know. Its all a moot point because the chance of him landing on our team is remote.

I love McDermott. If I squint hard I could see him being the Peja to Cousins' Webber but he doesn't have Peja's size. I think he's closer to being a higher IQ but slightly less athletic Wally Sczcerbiak. My big issue with him on the Kings is that ideally the wings you have to support Cousins are 3&D guys and I'm not convinced that McDermott has the footspeed to guard NBA 3s or the size to be a stretch 4. We'll see. I'll definitely follow him in the NBA though - I really like watching him play and hope he carves out a nice niche on the next level.

 

[Glenn]

Certainly it has to give everyone playing the "who shall we draft" game pause because the list and order has changed a lot since the beginning of the year. How will they rate at the end of next year? It's not easy to know and as many won't be in full bloom for several years, it may be that we won't know as much as we thought. I still like the fact that there are some major talents over 5'9" in this draft. Or did I mean 6'9"?

 

[fanop]

Vonleh is going top-8, if not top-5. You're not getting two top-8 picks for Embiid. Whoever drafts Ennis near top-10...good luck to them!
For the purposes of this team Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a better fit than Wiggins: better and even more versatile defense(quickness to defend 1, strength and length to pick SFs and some smaller PFs), weaker offense. Now that Ashley is gone for the season RHJ will have enough time to show his game and come out. You take him and Vonleh, that's your two best defenders by the end of first year.
Of course, that's not the only route, nor it's a preferable one, if you want to be really competitive by the end of next season. Best one would be to look for bargains like DeMarre Carroll or Deante Burton.

I never said we were going to get top 8 picks lol. Of course its a long shot, but I don't see why any teams with 2 first rounders wouldn't move up for the #1 overall spot. Saying Jefferson is a better fit than Wiggins is very insulting.. I honestly think Wiggins is overrated because he's so damn raw. I see a raw Harrison Barnes in Wiggins... that's not much of a compliment considering Barnes has struggled this season. Wiggins has tons of potential but will need a while to develop. I'd happily take Wiggins over him. So far in the season, I doubt Vonleh will be top 5. Ennis is probably the best pure pg in this draft. I actually like many pgs in this draft that are graded as 2nd rounders, but the kings don't have a 2nd rounder.

If the kings somehow do get #1 overall and trade back for a pick in the top 5 and another one just outside of the top 10, Exum should be the target. I think Vonleh is more of a consolation prize if we don't get the top 4 group. That's not a bad thing, because he's a good player. I think if we draft around 7, him and WCS would be a toss up. You might be able to add Ennis to the conversation depending on our PG search.

I love McDermott. If I squint hard I could see him being the Peja to Cousins' Webber but he doesn't have Peja's size. I think he's closer to being a higher IQ but slightly less athletic Wally Sczcerbiak. My big issue with him on the Kings is that ideally the wings you have to support Cousins are 3&D guys and I'm not convinced that McDermott has the footspeed to guard NBA 3s or the size to be a stretch 4. We'll see. I'll definitely follow him in the NBA though - I really like watching him play and hope he carves out a nice niche on the next level.

I'd love McDermott on the kings, but not at where we're drafting. The only issue I have with him is his defense. That leaves a huge question mark.

 

[ParniValjak]

I think we are too occupied by needs when thinking of draft picks. We are really not in a great position to be picky. We need genuine talent badly. Outside of the 2 start, plus IT in a certain role, we are too thin on genuine talent. Lets increase the talent base first then worry out turning that talent into talent that fits the needs.

 

[funkykingston]

I think we are too occupied by needs when thinking of draft picks. We are really not in a great position to be picky. We need genuine talent badly. Outside of the 2 start, plus IT in a certain role, we are too thin on genuine talent. Lets increase the talent base first then worry out turning that talent into talent that fits the needs.

Yes and no. This Kings team has exactly one cornerstone player in DeMarcus Cousins. To not consider how a player we draft will fit next to Cuz would be a huge mistake. Even assuming that Gay will return wouldn't stop me from drafting Wiggins or Parker if I were the Kings FO. But Randle? A talent but a terrible fit next to DMC and I wouldn't touch him if I were the Kings.

As for Wiggins, the more I watch him the more I see little flashes of how special he can become. This draft is strong but Wiggins was never anyhere near a LeBron type talent. But Wiggins can definitely be a star if he reaches his considerable ceiling.

 

[Gilles]

I think we are too occupied by needs when thinking of draft picks. We are really not in a great position to be picky. We need genuine talent badly. Outside of the 2 start, plus IT in a certain role, we are too thin on genuine talent. Lets increase the talent base first then worry out turning that talent into talent that fits the needs.

Yes, BPA is always way to go...Until you remember, that you will have to find court time for them. Wiggins might be effective as SG or Embiid as PF, but a lot of their talent and value is in ability to play with the ball in their hands. Again Wiggins is a relatively effective playing off the ball, but that's not his main draw as far as maximum use of his talent goes. Inability to play without the ball is what makes Randle bad fit. Parker actually looks much better playing off the ball than with, so he can be a big part of offense from the start, but there's the other part of the game, that current roster stinks at, and Parker will have as much an impact on as Derrick Williams. Smart is a complete unknown offensively, until he shows he can shoot. Exum is still a mystery, whether you can make him into NBA PG.

 

[funkykingston]

Yes, BPA is always way to go...Until you remember, that you will have to find court time for them. Wiggins might be effective as SG or Embiid as PF, but a lot of their talent and value is in ability to play with the ball in their hands. Again Wiggins is a relatively effective playing off the ball, but that's not his main draw as far as maximum use of his talent goes. Inability to play without the ball is what makes Randle bad fit. Parker actually looks much better playing off the ball than with, so he can be a big part of offense from the start, but there's the other part of the game, that current roster stinks at, and Parker will have as much an impact on as Derrick Williams. Smart is a complete unknown offensively, until he shows he can shoot. Exum is still a mystery, whether you can make him into NBA PG.

Yeah, Wiggins and Parker aren't great fits with Rudy Gay here but if either is on the board for the Kings and you think they are the best prospect to pair with DMC longterm then you draft them. Yeah, that means letting Gay walk after next season (assuming he doesn't opt out this summer) and a season of trying to make square pegs fit in round holes but I'm fine with that strategy in the long run.

With Cuz having stated that he'd like to play PF then you draft Embiid to play center and hope for a Gasol/Randolph, Duncan/Robinson or even Webber/Divac type pairing rather than two guys who get in each others way and don't work well together. I honestly think Cauley-Stein is an easier fit next to Cousins but obviously Embiid is much more talented and lightyears ahead on the offensive end.

The hope with Exum is that he's Penny Hardaway lite. He's got virtually the same build and style as Hardaway entering the league though Penny was much more polished as a result of coming out as a junior and playing in the NCAA. Hardaway was aggressive offensively while being a great passer and had the additional bonus of starting at SG to begin the year with Skiles at the PG. Once Skiles was traded midseason they let him loose at the point.

I think you'd need a similar plan with Exum but for a longer period of time. I doubt he'd even be a day 1 starter as a 19 year old international rookie.

All that said, I can't shake the feeling that Exum will be a Laker on draft day.

 

[Glenn]

A franchise like Sacramento cannot afford to let a great athlete walk. Rudy Gay is one of he finest athletes we've had in a long time. His game has meshed with the Kings. I would not let him walk if I drafted Wiggins or Parker. The three players are multi-dimensional and certainly something could be worked out that Gay could be kept and fit with Wiggins or Parker. There is always a learning curve especially with Wiggins. I'd figure out someway to make it work.

 

[rhythmless]

Yes and no. This Kings team has exactly one cornerstone player in DeMarcus Cousins. To not consider how a player we draft will fit next to Cuz would be a huge mistake. Even assuming that Gay will return wouldn't stop me from drafting Wiggins or Parker if I were the Kings FO. But Randle? A talent but a terrible fit next to DMC and I wouldn't touch him if I were the Kings.

As for Wiggins, the more I watch him the more I see little flashes of how special he can become. This draft is strong but Wiggins was never anyhere near a LeBron type talent. But Wiggins can definitely be a star if he reaches his considerable ceiling.

The solution to this would be the tiered draft approach. You group players in tiers and you take players in those tiers based on fit, but you prioritize on tiers. If there's only one tier 1 guy left when you pick, but a tier 2 that fits the current roster better, you go tier 1. But if there's only tier 2 guys when you draft, you go with best fit for the vision. You would hate to miss out on the next star because you expected to keep Gay long term and then he left.

 

[funkykingston]

A franchise like Sacramento cannot afford to let a great athlete walk. Rudy Gay is one of he finest athletes we've had in a long time. His game has meshed with the Kings. I would not let him walk if I drafted Wiggins or Parker. The three players are multi-dimensional and certainly something could be worked out that Gay could be kept and fit with Wiggins or Parker. There is always a learning curve especially with Wiggins. I'd figure out someway to make it work.

Well, there's two aspects to that.

One is that the really good teams have never tried to force pieces to fit long term. In the short term you take the best player available and make it work, but long term you either trade your stud draft pick or you trade the veteran in front of him to open up room for him to grow. Wiggins at the 2 and Gay at the 3 might work but trying to play Gay and Parker together has disaster written all over it. You could do it short term but long term you'd want to move one of them. Gay's biggest value next year will be as a huge ending contract so you could likely trade him but probably wouldn't get equal value.

The other aspect is that Gay is a free agent next after next season assuming he doesn't opt out this summer. I could see him agreeing to re-sign with the Kings if he sees a clear role for himself and a bright future for the Kings team. I think it's less likely he returns to the Kings if he's being played out of position and/or losing minutes to a youngster like Wiggins or Parker. The Kings may want Rudy Gay long term, but he has to want that as well.

 

[randymoss1881]

A franchise like Sacramento cannot afford to let a great athlete walk. Rudy Gay is one of he finest athletes we've had in a long time. His game has meshed with the Kings. I would not let him walk if I drafted Wiggins or Parker. The three players are multi-dimensional and certainly something could be worked out that Gay could be kept and fit with Wiggins or Parker. There is always a learning curve especially with Wiggins. I'd figure out someway to make it work.

I think if we get parker then we shouldn't resign gay and spend that money somewhere else. However, if we get wiggins then we keep gay cause I think wiggins can excel at SG. He will be an elite defender at the 2 and with gay there we would be athletic and long on the perimeter

 

[Kingsfan23]

If we lose to Cleveland tonight I will once again be finding myself supporting the loss. Really at a crossroads, are we going to improve or get a significant pick?

 

[whozit]

If we lose to Cleveland tonight I will once again be finding myself supporting the loss. Really at a crossroads, are we going to improve or get a significant pick?

Hopefully both.

 

[SacKings2002NBAChampions]

Is it possible to trade IT for a top 10 pick?

 

[SacKings2002NBAChampions]

I think the Timberwolves might bite on IT
Dallas might as well
IT would be a 6th man off the bench however some teams wouldn't be able to resign him, so it's a tough position for us to find a trade

 

[SacKings2002NBAChampions]

Yes and no. This Kings team has exactly one cornerstone player in DeMarcus Cousins. To not consider how a player we draft will fit next to Cuz would be a huge mistake. Even assuming that Gay will return wouldn't stop me from drafting Wiggins or Parker if I were the Kings FO. But Randle? A talent but a terrible fit next to DMC and I wouldn't touch him if I were the Kings.

As for Wiggins, the more I watch him the more I see little flashes of how special he can become. This draft is strong but Wiggins was never anyhere near a LeBron type talent. But Wiggins can definitely be a star if he reaches his considerable ceiling.

Wiggins will be at least a Paul George type of player if not Kobe status
He's going #1 in the draft. So, good luck to Detroit or Bucks

 

[randymoss1881]

Wiggins will be at least a Paul George type of player if not Kobe status
He's going #1 in the draft. So, good luck to Detroit or Bucks

WTF!! No he won't he will be lucky to be george let alone Kobe. That's unreal, wiggins can barely create for himself and he shots only 25% on shots off the dribble that's is comical. He also won't be the playmaker PG or shooter and PG is no slutch athletically.

 

[twslam07]

Wiggins will be at least a Paul George type of player if not Kobe status
He's going #1 in the draft. So, good luck to Detroit or Bucks

Wow that's a bold statement. He has a long, long way to go before he reaches that level. Not saying he can't do it, but he has a lot of things to work on if he wants to be as good as George let alone Kobe.

 

[funkykingston]

Wow that's a bold statement. He has a long, long way to go before he reaches that level. Not saying he can't do it, but he has a lot of things to work on if he wants to be as good as George let alone Kobe.

True, but that was exactly what was said of Paul George when he came out. Huge potential but some definite weaknesses and some questions about his sometimes passive play and inability to create shots.

In my opinion Wiggins is already a better defender and is definitely a better athlete than George. George is a bit bigger and had a more consistent shot in college although Wiggins also has good looking mechanics as George did. The same questions will be asked about Wiggin's motor and desire to improve. I don't see him ever being a Kobe type player because he just doesn't play with that aggressiveness and sense of urgency. But being somewhere around a George/Iguodala/Pippen even McGrady type player? Yeah, I could see that. If Wiggins is committed to putting in the work to be great.

We'll see.

 

[Kingster]

I don't understand the Ennis love. Yeah, his coach is talking him up, and he's not bad, but what makes him a top 10? On defense he's a total black box. You can't tell how good he is or how good he isn't because of that zone. At least with MCW you could see some spectacular defensive plays when the other team was in transition, where MCW was in fact guarding a man. With Ennis, you don't see that. Does he put great pressure on the opposing team because he collapses defenses? It's not something that jumps out at you. So far I haven't seen it. I'll be watching when the NCAAs roll around to see what others have seen.

 

[twslam07]

True, but that was exactly what was said of Paul George when he came out. Huge potential but some definite weaknesses and some questions about his sometimes passive play and inability to create shots.

In my opinion Wiggins is already a better defender and is definitely a better athlete than George. George is a bit bigger and had a more consistent shot in college although Wiggins also has good looking mechanics as George did. The same questions will be asked about Wiggin's motor and desire to improve. I don't see him ever being a Kobe type player because he just doesn't play with that aggressiveness and sense of urgency. But being somewhere around a George/Iguodala/Pippen even McGrady type player? Yeah, I could see that. If Wiggins is committed to putting in the work to be great.

We'll see.

Everything is predicated on the amount of work you put in. There are many players with very high potential who don't put in the work and become marginal players. There are reasons why there are very few stars in the league. It takes a lot of work. Everyone wants to be a star, but who wants to put in the work to get there? Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard.

Now I'm not saying he can't become as good as George. He has the tools to do so. It is just a question of his drive to be great.

 

[Gary]

Is it possible to trade IT for a top 10 pick?

No...

Not straight up. I am sure we would have to take on some salary and give them ending salaries as well. That would only get us a 11-15 pick though. Maybe on draft day we could move up a couple places with our pick and IT.

But nobody is going to give us a pick in the top ten for IT without doing a huge favor for that team we trade with.